March 11, 2010

Bowing out of one big municipal project one day, and breaking ground on another the next: can’t knock Jay-Z’s political hustle. Brooklyn’s most famous son was on hand to both shovel dirt for the future Nets arena in Atlantic Yards and to join Michael Bloomberg, Al Sharpton, and Marty Markowitz in giving a press conference to celebrate the occasion. “We did it again for Brooklyn, shout out to B.I.G.” Jay said, after an introduction from Marty Markowitz that earned healthy quantities of the famous Jay-Z gas face. Because if attempting to rap “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” is a mistake for a middle-aged politician of any color, it doesn’t even compare to the mortal sin of talking about how you’d like to snatch Beyoncé from Shawn Carter’s clutches when the man is standing within murdering range of you. That excruciating video and more on-the-scene photos from Rap Radar’s Elliott Wilson, right here:

Groundbreaking. Photo by Elliott Wilson.

Jay to Marty, after the Brooklyn Borough President has just brandished a photo of Beyoncé kissing him on the cheek: “We’ll talk about that picture later.” No doubt they will.